Posted on 02/22/2010 4:11:57 PM PST by SJackson
A new study authored by UW-Madison virologist Yoshihiro Kawaoka warns there is the potential for avian H5N1 influenza and human seasonal flu viruses to interact and form a new flu strain which could be both highly contagious and deadly.
Since the H5N1 influenza outbreak in Asian poultry in 2003, forms of this virus have spread to wild birds and poultry on several continents. However, since the H5N1 virus lacks the ability to transmit efficiently among humans, there have been only 442 confirmed human cases -- although 59 percent (262) of those infected have died.
The new findings -- which appear in the online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences -- raise concerns that H5N1 and pandemic H1N1 viruses could exchange genetic material in individuals exposed to both and generate a hybrid strain that is both highly virulent and infectious.
Kawaoka, who is the senior author of this study, did not return messages seeking comment. However, he told UW Communications in a news release that "with the new pandemic H1N1 virus, people sort of forgot about H5N1 avian influenza. But the reality is that H5N1 avian virus is still out there. Our data suggests that it is possible there may be reassortment between H5 and pandemic H1N1 that can create a more pathogenic H5N1 virus."
That's surprising, because previous lab studies indicated that hybrid viruses were less harmful than their parent strains. But experimenting on mice in a lab, Kawaoka and a team of researchers showed that a single gene segment from a seasonal flu virus, H3N2, was able to convert the avian H5N1 virus into a highly pathogenic form.
"H5N1 virus has never acquired the ability to transmit among humans, which is why we haven't had a pandemic," Kawaoka says in the press release. "The worry is that the pandemic H1N1 virus may provide that nature in the background of this highly pathogenic H5N1 virus."
So while the H1N1 influenza outbreak has garnered most of the headlines over the past year, Kawaoka's study points to the importance of keeping track of the avian H5N1 virus and all viral populations to monitor for any emergence of highly pathogenic variants.
This influenza study was funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health, the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan, and the Japan Science and Technology Agency.
I'm not worried, the Obama administration will protect me, they're expert in the distribution of vaccines.
This must be the Flying Pig virus we’ve been warned about.
Yet another crisis that won’t be wasted.....
All flu originates from birds. That’s a fact.
BO is already invested heavily.
In 1976 they said swine flu would kill millions then gave us vaccine that caused french polio. In 2009 they said H1n1 would kill millions and gave us a vaccine loaded with mercury and caused french polio they said the planet would overheat and oceans would rise. THEY LIE Thats what they do. Thats all they do is lie and spend your money.
Call it the “Chicken Little Flu.”
Here we go again!!! Woo Hoo!
I’m still waiting to die from the rest of the crap the grant junkies foist on the public.
Ban birds! And the mites on birds!
*ping*
WE’RE ALL GONNA DIE!!!!!!!.....again.
Obama still has not lifted the “National State of Emergency” that we have been under since October 2009. Swine flu has proven to be very mild for the vast majority of people. I work at a hospital, and we prepared for thousands of patients hitting our Emergency Room with many dying. None of it happened. This is all fear mongering to get your money and what’s left of our freedom. Come on, Obama, call off the state of emergency. Where is the Media on this power grab? Nothing from Fox or any of the Conservative talking heads.
The last pandemic didn’t work out for the Chicken Littles so they’ve found a new one.
And everyone seems to be stuck with the vaccine.
That's why Obama supports wind farms, kill the birds.
I was forced to have the vaccination under penalty of losing my job even though I don’t take care of patients and my office is remote from the hospital. I am still enraged about this. This whole thing stinks to high heaven along with a lot of other stench from the UN and Barry Soetoro.
I have been wondering when the scientific community would address this possibility.
By the time the vaccine is available, we’ll all be dead.
Thanks.
One flu over the cuckoo’s nest but the next may come to roost. By then no one will believe it.
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